NewEnglandTrailConditions.com
NewEnglandTrailConditions.com:
MA
|
ME
|
NH
|
RI/CT
|
VT
|
Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks South Balface, North Baldface, NH
Trails
Trails: Baldface Circle Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 21, 2021
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: 3 cars in the parking lot on a beautiful Sunday at 9am. I guess everyone was starting on their Spring 48s. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Most everything is trivial, bridged, and/or hoppable. Final crossing at Charles Brook you have to noodle through a little bit, the bridges are mighty thin so check out your route before committing (though if you do fall through you're just going to get wet boots with a mile to go, so...). 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Not too much going on for blowdowns. Couple easy walk under/arounds heading up to the South shelter. A couple biggies on the North side and one you have to fight through. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: No dogs, no people (except for a couple at the end of the hike who did Eastman). Ascending South via the ledges is a definite nope with a dog, but you could walk around via Slippery Brook Trail. The descent immediately off North is sketch as well; you'll be busy not losing it yourself never mind looking after doggie. 
Bugs
Bugs: I can hardly wait 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Very warm day. Brought all of the footwear; used all of the footwear. The first part of the trail to the N/S Circle intersection is ice covered in pine needles and branches like someone laid a green carpet out for you. Welcome to the Baldfaces it says! The rest of the trail all the way around is semi packed but not enough to support your weight when it gets warm. It was a cool enough morning that I made it to the shelter in spikes and changed out to mid traction (K10s) for going up the ledges. Was hoping the K10s would be adequate for the ascent to avoid shredding any more clothing items with crampon toe points. Meh. The ledges are primarily a steep snow field at this point and I made my way up with a lot of kicking holes in the hill and some pathetic whimpering. Toe points would have been really nice. It would be particularly sketchy in microspikes, I wouldn't do it, though moutaineering snowshoes might work. And I sure as f wouldn't descend that way. Bring an ice axe regardless.

From the ledges I made it up to South summit still in mid traction. By the time I descended into the col toward North the snow softened up significantly, however, and snowshoes were de rigueur. You couldn't get five steps. Stayed primarily in the shoes for the rest of the trip except where they tried to kill me on the steep stuff coming off North and again descending from the ridge.

I wouldn't say the North side trail from the ridge is exactly trashed at this point, but it's well on the way. Constant deep grooves and footprints and many many postholes. It doesn't have to be this way you know! The bottom mile or so of the North leg has a lot of exposed rock, but then you're just back in (soft) snow off and on.  
Name
Name: Muench 
E-Mail
E-Mail: erik.coder@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2021-03-21 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.

Copyright 2009-2024, All Rights Reserved